


Something Nicer

by tawnyPort



Category: Free!
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-12-22
Updated: 2013-12-22
Packaged: 2018-01-05 11:48:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1093546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/tawnyPort/pseuds/tawnyPort
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>College future fic: Rin and Haru are apart for Christmas. There's flirting, innuendos, threats, and even a musical number! Something for everyone.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Something Nicer

**Author's Note:**

  * For [t0b1](https://archiveofourown.org/users/t0b1/gifts).



“I still think this is pointless.” Rin frowned into the webcam as Haru complained and rested his chin on his hand, pointedly refusing to look into the camera on his end. 

“What’s pointless about it? Would you really rather spend Christmas Eve without me?” Rin replied. He kept his tone vaguely haughty to avoid letting on just how much he would also rather be spending the holiday in person, but he worried for a moment. What if Haru said yes? Getting together on Skype had been Rin’s idea, after all; Coach Hirai had announced in November that they were having a surprise training camp over Christmas in the United States, but the students on the team had to have fairly high marks in English in order to participate. Rin had breezed past the requirement. Haru hadn’t, and he’d taken it badly. Rin thought he’d be over it by now.

Haru finally looked up at the camera, blinking slowly as he rolled his eyes. “Of course not. I’d rather be in Flagstaff with you so we could spend Christmas together and swim together.” He was deadpan as he spoke, as though this was the most obvious conclusion in the world. 

Rin couldn’t help but smirk. If he didn’t limit himself to that, he’d start grinning like a moron and then Haru was guaranteed to laugh at him. “Then I hope when we’re done you’re going to study so you can come to the next training camp. Honestly, it’s kind of embarrassing to me that you’re flunking English.”

Mischief danced across Haru’s face, a change so subtle Rin was fairly sure only he and Makoto would’ve noticed it. “The words you’re teaching me aren’t on the exams. If Sasaki-sensei wanted to hear ‘harder,’ over and over then I’d be guaranteed to pass every time, but that’s grade school stuff.”

“Dammit, Haru.” Rin glanced over his shoulder to see if anyone else was around. He’d brought his laptop into his dorm room for the conversation since most of the rest of the team was making phone calls home but there was always a chance someone would walk in. Even Mikoshiba, who he was sharing the room with, would likely give him a hard time about something like that. “You’re going to have to start taking English more seriously or Hirai-sensei’s not going to let you travel with the team until you graduate.”

“Maybe you’re going to have to make me,” Haru replied, his tone defiant but his eyes sparkling now. Rin felt something twist in his stomach a little and wished that he could be home right now to keep that sparkle there, but instead he just tucked the look on Haru’s face into his memory. He’d owe him one.

Sighing, Rin reached for the top of the laptop’s screen, making as though he was getting ready to close it. “OK, fine, I can see you’re going to be a real ray of sunshine tonight so I think I’m going to go give this to Mikoshiba so he can corrupt Makoto. Merry Chri--”

“Wait. Rin.” 

Worked every time. His boyfriend was leaning forward again, looking anxiously into the camera. Rin tilted his head and kept his hand on his computer. “Why? I wanted to talk to you tonight to cheer you up because we’re spending Christmas apart but not if you’re determined to sulk about it all night and be hard on me about it. That’s no fun. If I wanted to feel bad about being away from you I could do that without Skype.”

“I just miss you.” Haru’s eyes saddened, only for a moment but Rin was struck once again at just how frank Haru could be about his emotions when he really felt like it. “The radio’s playing all the Christmas songs and it makes me wish…” Haru looked away again, a minor but very real blush on his cheeks.

“Wish what?” Rin asked as he lowered his hand.

“I wanted you to sing Christmas songs.” The blush got much deeper and anything that made Haru blush like that was, in Rin’s experience, worth investigating.

“What, like, on the radio or something? What’re you getting at?” Rin asked as he settled back against his pillows, pulling the laptop down onto his stomach.

“No, but maybe while I made breakfast.” Haru looked back at Rin from the side of his eye and it was Rin’s turn to blush a little. “I wanted us to have Christmas morning together. I was going to cook and I thought maybe you’d keep me company. I’d rather listen to you than the radio.” 

Rin could feel the warmth spreading up toward his ears. Haru never asked for company in the kitchen, but then again, Rin realized, he’d never asked him to leave, either. He’d thought it was a kind of tolerance but perhaps Haru actually wanted him there. “Are you asking me to sing for you?” Rin laughed and waited but Haru didn’t reply, merely turning his head a little more toward the camera. “Fine, you asked for it. _Makka na ohana no tonakai-san--_ ”

“Rin.” Haru cut him off and looked fully at the camera. “Not like that. Sing something nicer. I know you can.”

“Something nicer.” Rin drummed his fingers on his chin then grinned. “ _Sayonara o kimeta koto wa kes--_ ” This time it was Rin’s turn to cut himself off as he saw Haru’s arm reaching up toward the webcam. “Hey, hey. Come on.”

“That one’s not even funny, Rin,” Haru muttered. Rin had expected Haru to tell him to knock it off but not with that kind of vehemence. Then again, a song about not being able to be with someone you loved at Christmastime because they were in love with someone else… yeah, he screwed up.

“Sorry, Haru. Please, don’t go yet. OK? One more chance?” Rin leaned over and tilted his head as though he could peer past Haru’s arm to where he was hiding his face. “I promise it’ll be worth your while.”

Haru made him wait a moment longer then relented, lowering his arm but still looking singularly unimpressed. Rin turned his head up to make sure he was still alone. Singing a silly song like that was one thing and a falsetto ballad wasn’t going to get him ribbed, but singing something more romantic--which was what he was sure Haru was angling for even if he wasn’t going to say so--was something he wanted a closed door for. Satisfied, he sat up.

“You’re not recording this, are you?”

“...Not anymore.” Haru’s face was so disappointed that Rin just shook his head in resignation.

“Fine. Record it if you want to but if you ever show it to anyone else I’ll make sure you regret it.” He thought for a minute then cleared his throat. “OK, just the one song, then I really do have to give this thing to Mikoshiba. You ready?”

“I think you’re stalling. I think you can’t think of a song.”

“Shut up! OK, OK.” Rin fidgeted a little then cleared his throat again. He hadn’t really been planning on telling Haru about this but maybe it was worth ruining the surprise. “Just for that I’m singing one in English.

_When the bells all ring and the horns all blow  
And the couples we know are fondly kissing,  
Will I be with you or will I be among the missing?_

_Maybe it's much too early in the game  
Ooh, but I thought I'd ask you just the same  
What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve?_

_Wonder whose arms will hold you good and tight  
When it's exactly twelve o'clock that night  
Welcoming in the New Year, New Year's Eve?_

_Maybe I'm crazy to suppose  
I'd ever be the one you chose  
Out of a thousand invitations  
You received_

_Ooh, but in case I stand one little chance  
Here comes the jackpot question in advance:  
What are you doing New Year's, New Year's Eve?_”

Rin had watched Haru’s face the entire time he sang--the English was easy for him--and at first he was confused, which Rin expected, but by the end of it he was smiling even if he was doing his best to hide it.

“That’s not a Christmas song.”

Rin laughed. “No, but you don’t look like you’re complaining.”

“You’re not coming home until the fifth,” Haru replied skeptically.

“Not anymore. Turns out the university here scheduled our training camp at the same time they scheduled some kind of renovation work to be done on the dorm. They can’t move us and they don’t want to cancel the work so we’re coming home early.” Rin beamed smugly and linked his hands behind his head, his entire chest warm with the sight of Haru’s eyes lighting up and then him trying frantically to pretend he wasn’t as happy about the news as Rin was to be delivering it.

“So…?”

“I’ll see you in three days. You better be there at the airport. I’m not telling Gou I’m coming home early. This is my Christmas present to you,” Rin said, wagging his eyebrows a little until Haru rolled his eyes again.

“Stop being gross. I’ll leave you at the airport.”

“Oh, now I’m being gross but it’s fine when you do it!?”

“Exactly,” Haru replied with a nod.

“I don’t have to put up with this, you know,” Rin said. All his outrage was in jest but it wouldn’t be a proper talk between the two of them like this if they didn’t threaten to hang up on each other at least twice per side.

“No, you don’t,” Haru said with a little grin, “but you will.”

“Don’t be so sure. The only reason I’m still here is because you haven’t answered me yet.”

“Answered you?”

“ _What are you doing New Year’s, New Year’s Eve?_ ” Rin crooned again, unlinking his hands and sitting up straighter. “Now that I’ll be home you can’t just leave me hanging like this.”

“Do you still need to give this to Mikoshiba?” Haru was fidgeting a little on the other end of the call. Rin watched then saw he was trying to get at his phone.

“I should. That’s not going to get you out of answering me, though.”

“Give it to him and tell him to get out of the room with it. I’ll answer you in private.” Haru’s eyes darkened then he smirked and cut off the call.

Rin couldn’t get rid of the laptop or his former captain fast enough.

**Author's Note:**

> I hope this is sweet enough for you! Enjoy!! (ETA: Beefed way up now that I know the word count limit was made optional. Hope you find more to enjoy!)


End file.
